Can I get Disaster Unemployment Assistance?

Yes, if all of these are true:

• A natural disaster affected where you live.

• It caused you to lose your job, caused your employer to reduce your hours, or caused you to be unable to work in self-employment (including small business owners and farmers).

• You don't qualify for regular state funded unemployment insurance.

After a federal disaster, state agencies can administer this program. In Washington, you apply to the Employment Security Department for DUA.

Yes, if all of these are true:

• You are unemployed (or your employer reduced your hours) for a reason directly related to the disaster.

• You are not already getting or eligible for regular unemployment benefits (or Railroad Retirement Board benefits).

• You were available and able to work when the disaster happened (unless you were injured in the disaster).

• You experienced at least one week or more of unemployment because of the disaster.

• The income source that was interrupted was your primary income source (not a side job or secondary income source).

• You have not refused an offer for suitable replacement work since losing your work or job.

• You filed your application for DUA within 30 days of when the DUA was made available.

To get DUA, you must have lost your work due to the disaster because one of these reasons:

• The disaster injured you.

• The disaster damaged or closed your workplace.

• The disaster made it impossible for you to get work or travel to work.

• You became the head of your household because of a death caused by the disaster.

• The disaster kept you from starting a new job or working in self-employment.

• You couldn't work at a job or in self-employment because of an injury caused by the disaster.

• Your business had losses because the disaster area was a main source of your income.

You must file for DUA within 30 days of the announcement of the availability of DUA. Visit the Washington Employment Security Department's DUA status page to see if DUA is currently available. The announcement will include specific information related to your disaster for filing a claim.

You will need to provide documents showing:

1. That you were employed, self-employed or about to start a job at the time of the disaster.

2. The income you made for one completed tax year prior to the disaster (using tax records and/or bank statements).

DUA benefits are calculated like regular Unemployment Insurance. Your weekly payments will be based on what your previous earnings were.

DUA benefits are paid from the first week after the disaster starts and usually last up to the end of 26th week after the disaster was declared.

Yes. You can be disqualified from DUA benefits if:

• You become employed and your earnings exceed the weekly benefit amount that is allowed

• You have refused an offer for suitable replacement work since losing your work or job

• You were not actually able to work or available for work when the disaster happened (unless you were unable to work because the disaster injured you)

• You don't keep seeking work or take steps to resume self-employment

• You are no longer unemployed as a direct result of the disaster